In the photo booth, she laughs at odd contortions,
Stretches her familiar disposition.
Her elastic features, pulled into new proportions,
At the edge of recognition.
In the photo booth, she winks a new expression,
Explores a new contortion,
Her playful eyes leave a deep impression,
There’s courage in her caution.
In the photo booth, she nods another mischief,
Smiles at its extortions,
Her amusement is her image,
Not one but many portions.
In every image captured there’s never one the same,
A diamond has its facets … many to its name.

Tim Grace, 9 March 2010

To the reader: Image is the luminous quality in the projection of self. In this context, a teenager’s experimentation with style is a passionate pursuit; an obsession giving polish to personal branding. Contorted facial experiments deliver some strange results that beyond amusement reveal a lot about character. The familiar face pulled into a curious form is interesting to read for its deeper emotional meaning… who is she when not herself?

To the poet: In form this is a sonnet, but forced rhyming arrangements pull uncomfortably at its structure. Around the rhyming features of ‘contortion’ there are repeated references; stretched awkwardly across the body of the poem. Although the poem is weak on technical perfection, there are times when an imperfect structure can assist in the successful construction of a fractured theme.

Photo Booth